Machine for splitting ears of corn.



No. 669.434. Patented Mar. 5, mm.

I W. D. ADAMS. A

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING EARS 0F GORN..

(Application filed Aflg. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Grates.

WILLIAM D. ADAMS, OF LAUREL, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING EARS OF CORN.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 669,434, dated March 5, 1901 Application filed August 21, 1900. Serial No. 27,608. (No model.)

1'0 whom itmcty concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laurel, in the county of Franklin and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Splitting Ears of Corn, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for splitting ears of corn; and the object of the same is to provide a simple and efficient machine for this purpose which can be constructed at a small cost and which will be strong and durable and capable of rapid operation.

It has been the customary practice to feed cattle and stock on corn on the ear; but owing to the waste of the cob this practice has been found expensive.

My invention is designed for the purpose of splitting the ears of corn lengthwise into two or more pieces and to thus utilize both the cob and the corn for feeding cattle.

I attain the object referred to by means of the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a machine made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the flaring cup, which forces the ear of corn down upon the splitter and showing a modification. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the flaring cup and cross-head.

Like numerals designate like parts wherever they occur in the different views.

In said drawings, 1 is the framework of the machine, and this frame may consist of the legs or uprights 2, the cross-braces 3, and the support 4 for the splitter. Rigidly secured to the support 4 is the splitter-blade 5, said blade consisting of a round sharply-pointed slightly-tapering spike 5, mounted on the vertex of a conical base 7, which base is secured to the support 4 by bolts 8. By this device the ear is split throughout its length, as the spike 5 tapers very gradually and therefore enters the cob with but little resistance and the ear is not split until it comes in contact with the base 7, when it splits suddenly throughout its entire length. The support 4 comprises the boards 01' plates 10. Guide-rods 11 11 pass through between the boards 10 and extend up and through the upper cross-bar 12 of the frame and are securely held in place by the nuts 13. A cross-head 14 is mounted to slide on the rods 11, and secured centrally to said cross-headis a conical cup 15. This cup has an interior recess 16, which conforms substantiallyin shape to the outer surface of the point of an ear of corn, and a base-flange 17 formed on the cup gives an extended means for attachment to the cross-head 14. Screws 18 secure the cup rigidly to the cross-head 14. This cross-head may be formed of two pieces of wood or metal provided with grooves 19 for the guide-rods 11, and bolts 20 on opposite sides of the guiderods secure the two pieces of the cross-head together. A bracket 21, secured to the top of the frame, has two pulleys 22 22 attached thereto, and a cord or cable 23, connected centrally to the cross-head 14, passes up and over the pulleys, a weight 24 being attached to the end of the cord or cable 23 to return the cross-head to its upper position after each operation, as will be hereinafter set forth. Two rods 25 25, secured to the cross-head, one uponeach side of the cup 15, extend down through slots 26 between the boards 4 and 10 and are connected to a foot-treadle 27,secured to a pivoted cross-bar 28, extending across the frame at the back.

The modification shown in Fig. 2 illustrates a number of splitter-blades 5, mounted upon a turn-table 4 pivoted on a central bolt 4 By means of this construction the operator may place the corn upon the splitter-blades and revolve the table 4 under the flaring cup 15.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: An ear of corn isimpaled upon the splittingblade 5, said ear having its butt-end forced down upon the point of said blade. The foot of the operator is then placed upon the treadle 27, and the cup is brought down upon the point of the ear of corn, and further movement of the treadle will cause the splitter to pass entirely through the ear from end to end and divide it into two or more longitudinal pieces or strips. Corn thus treated forms an excellent and nutritious food for cattle and stock and utilizes the cob, which is usually wasted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In acob-splitting machine,.the combina- IO the vertex of a conical base, and means for bringing the cob in contact with the point of said spike, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM D. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

J. J. REIBOLDT, CHAS. 0. DAY. 

